Contents

Description

Introduced in 2474[4][5], the Archer is one of the best-known and widely-used 'Mech still in use. A contemporary of 'Mechs such as the Thunderbolt and the Banshee, the Archer's primary role is as a fire support 'Mech, though early in its combat career it was considered an assault 'Mech. More than 100,000 Archers had been produced by the start of the First Succession War, and though many have been destroyed or dismantle for spare parts, they remain a common sight in the Great House armies.

The 'Mech has been used in a variety of roles, the most common of which is its intended role of indirect fire support and bombardment of enemy fortifications. It also seemed quite popular choice for various Battlemech commanders, perhaps due to its long-reach allowing them to observe and participate in a battle. The Archer has a top speed of 64.8 km/h and is protected by thirteen tons of armor. It's also unique in that its cockpit is located beneath the central torso, with the torso armor belt located above the cockpit to protect the Gyro and engine. The Archer's only drawbacks are that it is less effective in close quarters combat, and its familiarity is such that most enemy pilots know its design capabilities quite well. Numerous variations of the Archer continue to be produced as the various factions continue to make use of the venerable design.

Armament

The Archer's primary weapons are a pair of Doombud LRM-20 missile launchers with enough ammunition for two minutes of continuous fire. This makes the Archer a very capable, and deadly, fire support 'Mech. For close combat situations, the Archer carries four Diverse Optics Type 18 Medium Lasers, two of which are rear mounted.

Variants

ARC-2K - The 2K Archer is a modification built to increase its direct firepower capability and give it more staying power on the battlefield once it has run out of ammunition. The 'Mech replaces the LRM-20 launchers with two LRM-15 launchers and removes all of the Medium Lasers. The 'Mech uses the saved weight to add two Large Lasers and two heat sinks. BV (1.0) = 977, BV (2.0) = 1,356[3]

ARC-2Rb - Equipped with Star League technology, the 2Rb variant of the Archer is based on an Endo Steel internal structure. It drops one of the rear-firing Medium Lasers and a ton of ammunition to equip the LRM-20s with Artemis IV fire control systems and CASE. The 2Rb also uses ten double heat sinks to keep the 'Mech cool. BV (2.0) = 1,705[6]

ARC-2R (C) - A Clan-tech retrofit of the standard SLDF ARC-2R Archer taken from Brian Caches and intended for second-line and solahma troops, the Archer C, replaces all Inner Sphere weaponry with their Clan counterparts without modifying any structural components. The Archer C mounts a pair of LRM-20s, capable of launching Swarm LRM munitions, and a quartet of ER Medium Lasers.[7] BV (2.0) = 1,721[8]

ARC-2S - The 2S is another modification made to allow the Archer to defend itself more easily against an enemy that manages to close ranges with it. The 'Mech replaces the LRM-20 launchers with two LRM-15 launchers and uses the saved weight to add two SRM-4 launchers, giving it additional short range firepower. BV (1.0) = 997, BV (2.0) = 1,393[3]

ARC-2W - The 2W is similar to the 2S model, but increases its close range firepower in a different manner. The two rear firing Medium Lasers have been removed, the armor protection has been reduced by three tons, and two SRM-4 launchers have been added to the 'Mech. The 2W retains its LRM-20 launchers. This was the trademark subvariant of Wolf's Dragoons, which they produced in the assembly plant aboard their space station Hephaestos until its destruction in 3028. Note: It was once stated by Jaime Wolf that all of the Dragoons' Archers were of this variant, but this is unconfirmed. [9] BV (1.0) = 932, BV (2.0) = 1,338[3]

ARC-4M - An upgrade using rediscovered Star League technology, the 4M is built around an Endo Steel chassis and increases the armor by half a ton. The 'Mech upgrades its heat sinks to double heat sinks for added heat dissipation capabilities. The 'Mech upgrades its twin LRM-20 launchers by adding Artemis IV fire control systems to the launchers and still mounts four Medium Lasers, two of which are still rear mounted. This design also incorporates CASE. BV (1.0) = 1,539[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,705[10]

ARC-5R - Built in the Free Rasalhague Republic prior to the Clan Invasion, the 5R is similar to the 2K model of the Archer, and is built on an Endo Steel chassis and upgrades its heat sinks to double heat sinks. The LRM-15 launchers have had Artemis IV fire control systems added for increased accuracy and the 'Mech now has two ER Large Lasers for long range direct firepower. BV (1.0) = 1,319[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,672[11]

ARC-5S - The 5S variant of the Archer upgrades the engine to an XL Engine, cutting the engine's weight in half. The 5S also reduces the LRM-20 launchers to LRM-15s. The saved weight has been used to add two Streak SRM-2 launchers and allowed the Medium Lasers to be upgraded to four Medium Pulse Lasers. Finally, the 'Mech has a Narc Missile Beacon, which allows the Archer to tag enemy units with a beacon, allowing friendly 'Mechs to easily target the unit with missile weapons. BV (1.0) = 1,122[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,353[12]

ARC-5W - The 5W is an upgrade of the 2W variant, produced at Alarion in an orbital 'Mech repair facility which was expanded into a Mech assembly line. The 'Mech has been upgraded with an XL Engine to save weight and the 'Mech uses double heat sinks for greater heat dissipation. The 'Mech is armed with two LRM-20 and two SRM-4 launchers and carries a Narc Missile Beacon to allow it to designate 'Mechs for targeting by friendly units with missile launchers. BV (1.0) = 1,128[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,337[13]

ARC-6S - The 6S variant of the Archer is built with a new Light Fusion Engine, which weighs three quarters of the weight of the original engine. The 'Mech carries two LRM 20 launchers mated to Artemis IV fire control systems and two Streak SRM-2 launchers as well as two Medium Lasers for close combat. As a defensive measure, the 'Mech has an ER Small Laser mounted in the rear of its head for added protection. The variant carries six tons of ammo for the LRM and two tons for the SRM, all of which are protected in CASE. BV (1.0) = 1,480[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,694[14]

ARC-6W - The 6W is a Periphery upgrade of the Archer built using older technologies with one major difference. The 'Mech has four Medium Lasers, all in arm mounts, and carries eight Rocket Launcher 20s and two Rocket Launcher 10s, giving it a powerful one-shot capability or it can use each Rocket Launcher rack as a single shot over an extended period. BV (1.0) = 1,239[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,405[15]

ARC-7L - Built by the Capellan Confederation, the 7L variant of the Archer incorporates the new Stealth Armor and a Guardian ECM Suite for protection against enemy electronics in addition to making the Archer harder to target. The 'Mech carries twelve and a half tons of Stealth Armor and is armed with two LRM-20 launchers and two ER Medium Lasers. The trade-off for this massive upgrade is the fact that the 'Mechs top speed has been reduced to 54 km/h. In an attempt to compensate for this, the 'Mech has had three jump jets mounted, making it capable of jumping up to ninety meters. BV (1.0) = 1,612[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,920[16]

ARC-7S - The Archer 7S is an upgrade of the 6S model that uses Durallex Guardian Heavy Ferro-Fibrous armor with CASE in place of the Endo Steel structure used on the 6S. The 7S has two LRM-20 launchers with Artemis IV for increased missile accuracy. For close range defense, the 'Mech has a Diverse Optics ER Medium Laser and a rear facing Magna 200P Small Pulse Laser in addition to the pair of Hovertec Streak SRM-2 launchers. BV (1.0) = ??[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,658[17]

ARC-8M - The 8M variant of the Archer is built on an Endo Steel chassis and mixes elements of several past variants. The 'Mech is armed with two LRM-15 launchers with Artemis IV fire control systems and an ER Large Laser for long-range combat. It also mounts three ER Medium Lasers for close range support. This makes the 8M effective at all ranges and gives it both long-range direct and indirect capabilities. BV (1.0) = 1,377[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,759[18]

ARC-9K - The Archer 9K carries as its primary weapons four new MML-5 launchers that are capable of firing both LRM and SRM ammunition. These give the 'Mech a great deal of tactical flexibility. For long range direct fire capabilities, the 'Mech has three Light PPCs and also has a C3 Slave that allows the 'Mech to share targeting data with friendly units. BV (1.0) = ??[citation needed], BV (2.0) = 1,391[19]

ARC-9M - This variant uses a 210 Light Engine, dropping the top speed to 54 km/h, but five Improved Jump Jets compensate for this lack of speed. The standard weapons have been replaced by an LRM-15 with Artemis IV FCS and an ER Medium Laser in each torso, while a Light PPC is in each arm. Eleven tons of Light Ferro-Fibrous armor and CASE protect the 'Mech. BV (2.0) = 1,811[20]

Custom Variants

Archer Wolf - This variant of the Archer carries Clan-spec equipment. The arms mount ER Large Lasers, while a pair of Small Pulse Lasers cover the rear. The LRM-20s are enhanced with Artemis IV Fire Control Systems, and an ECM Suite and AMS protect against incoming fire. CASE is in each torso. Fifteen double heat sinks keep the 'Mech cool. BV (2.0) = 2,365[23]

Notable Pilots

Jaime Wolf: It is implied from conjecture that he initially piloted his unit's trademark -2W variant. He lost one such vehicle on Barlow's End in 3026 but continued to pilot Archers (presumably advanced technology versions). He was found dead in his Archer near the end of the Battle of Harlech City on October 18, 3067.